The snowflake man

by Duncan C. Blanchard

The Snowflake Man is a biography of Wilson Bentley, a farmer from Jericho, Vermont, who spent a lifetime (1865-1931) studying the beauty and science of snow crystals. While still in his teens he taught himself how to photograph the intricate but transient crystals, and then he endured years of indifference and scorn as others around him derided his fascination before the artistic and scientific value of his study became known to scientists and the general public. Bentley was the originator of the well-known saying "No two snowflakes are alike!" and his more than 5,000 photographs of snow crystals are widely recognized and admired for their enduring beauty and quality. - Back cover.